Restaurant chain Loungers hoping to attract disadvantaged young people into hospitality

Restaurant chain Loungers is working with Bristol social enterprise Babbasa to encourage more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the hospitality sector.

The café-bar group hosted an 'insight day' at its Bristol headquarters to showcase the job opportunities on offer across its Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands.

The event was organised after Loungers completed Babbasa’s 'Inclusion Healthchecker', which recommended ways the business could become more inclusive and representative of the local population.

Jake Bishop, co-founder and director at Loungers, said: “ It was fantastic to speak to the young people that joined us and we are looking forward to continuing working with Babbasa throughout 2024 and beyond.”

The partnership between the two organisations aims to provide the Loungers HQ team with the opportunity to give back to the community it operates in and increase the diversity of the company's head office and site teams.

Caroline Amran, senior business engagement lead for Babbasa, said: “The Loungers Babbasa Insight Day was a brilliant opportunity for young people to explore career paths in hospitality and get an insider’s view of a fast-growing plc.

"A highlight was Jake Bishop’s inspiring story, from pot washer to leading a 9,000-strong team. Hosting a Babbasa Insight Day is a fantastic way for companies to engage diverse young talent and gain fresh perspectives in return.”

One of the young people who attended the event said they found learning about the different roles in the industry, the recruitment processes, and the relationship with customers and the community "most helpful".

"Understanding Loungers' history provided valuable context for their current success," they said.

LIKE THIS STORY? Why not sign up to get the latest business news straight to your inbox.

Loungers now has nearly 260 sites around the UK. In April, the company said it had opened a new site every 10 days so far this year and that with each new Lounge venue nearly £1m was being invested into the local high street.

It also said an average of 30 new jobs were created on each site opening.